Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Saturday, 23 January 2016

BBC News

• Station shopping centre sold for �335mBirmingham's Grand Central shopping centre is bought by Hammerson, co-owners of the Bullring, for �335m.
• VIDEO: Wales' great car crash conAn exclusive glimpse at the tenacity which exposed the size, audacity and at times blatant stupidity of Wales' great car crash con.
• Wales-wide gritting guidance consideredCouncils could get gritting guidelines from Welsh ministers after 69 road accidents in icy conditions in north Wales within a few hours.
• Cardiff-Anglesey flights' new carrierA new airline agrees to take over twice-daily flights between Cardiff and Anglesey after they were suspended.
• Cars catch fire at Edinburgh AirportFire crews are called out to Edinburgh Airport after three cars catch fire in the multi-storey car park.
• Emergency rail service introducedA peak-time diverted high-speed rail service is introduced between Dover and London to help commuters affected by a collapsed line.
• Town challenges Heathrow aircraft noiseResidents in Henley-on-Thames challenge Heathrow officials over an increase in aircraft noise over their town.
• EU funds for western Scots projectsEuropean Union funding worth �215m is announced to support cross-border projects in the west of Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• James Bond Spectre car in �1m auctionAston Martin is auctioning one of 10 DB10 cars made specially for last year's James Bond film Spectre, with a minimum price of �1m.
• Boeing to halve jumbo jet productionThe world's biggest plane maker Boeing says it will cut production of its 747-8 jumbo jet in half and take a charge of $569m (�397m).

Financial Times

• Petrol bonanza set to run out of gasIndustry experts say petrol and diesel will soon hit a plateau, if oil prices keep falling
• EU referendum delays Heathrow decisionBusiness leaders dismayed by further wait for government approval of new runway

The Guardian

• Stansted 'bus war' as Terravision sells coach tickets despite airport banFirm lost right to use facilities at terminals leaving unsuspecting customers facing interchange at King’s Cross, meaning journey times doubledStansted airport is at the centre of a bus war after the travel company Terravision lost the right to operate out of the terminal but continued to sell coach tickets to unsuspecting passengers.Travellers have complained of missed flights and chaotic scenes because the company failed to tell them that its services no longer run to the airport. Terravision, which has run direct, low-cost transfer services to and from several locations in central London fo...

The Herald

• Supermarket price wars take petrol prices down to a six-year lowAsda has cut the price of diesel to 97.7 pence per litre (ppl) amid tumbling oil prices.

The Telegraph

• Electric cars will become as ubiquitous as the internet, says transport ministerGrowth in popularity of electric cars is akin to the spread of the internet in the 1990s, minister claims
• New stations missing from ticket websitesPassengers unable to buy tickets online to travel to or from Britain's newest railway stations, which opened on Monday

Daily Record

• Police whistleblower reveals that postcode lottery on vehicle checks in Scotland could be putting lives in dangerTHE Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme allows police to hand out notices ordering drivers to fix potentially dangerous defects in their cars, but the regional variations could put lives at risk.

Mail Online

• Asda cuts diesel to 97.7p as George Osborne says cheaper oil is good news Asda has fired a fresh blast in the supermarkets battle to drag more shoppers into stores by tempting them to come to their sites and fill up, while the Chancellor put a gloss on the tumbling oil price.

This is Money

• Car Insurance companies says drivers in the North East are the UK's best Many of us think we're the greatest driver in the country, but where do you think the best motorists live? Stand up Geordies, Mackems and Smoggies, as, according to Direct Line, it's the North East.
• What's it like to use a �300k Rolls-Royce in real life? We test the Wraith The Wraith is the smallest, and most powerful Rolls-Royce but with a price tag of �235k is it a car you can really enjoy driving every day? We used it as a daily commuter to find out.
• Asda cuts diesel to 97.7p as George Osborne says cheaper oil is good news Asda has fired a fresh blast in the supermarkets battle to drag more shoppers into stores by tempting them to come to their sites and fill up, while the Chancellor put a gloss on the tumbling oil price.
• James Bond's �1m Aston Martin concept car goes up for auction (but it is not even allowed on public roads)� One of only ten built as a concept model for the movie, the car (pictured) has never been in production and is not allowed on public roads.
• The end of the Jumbo Jet? Boeing to halve production of iconic 747 as no orders were placed for the fuel-hungry aircraft last year The world’s biggest plane maker said it would now only make six jumbos a year. It had having previously announced the rate would drop from 1.3 per month to one per month.

Birmingham Post

• New �2m Park and Ride at Four Oaks station Extra free parking is expected to take more cars of the road as transport body Centro aims to cut congestion in the city

Bolton News

• Bus drivers, supervisors and manager needed in Bolton to help run services on new busway BUS drivers, supervisors and a manager are being recruited in Bolton to help run the services on the new Leigh Busway.
• Road to remain closed for 6 months after flooding landslide A ROAD will be closed for six months after a landslide caused part of it to collapse.
• "Like cattle going to slaughter" - Train bosses apologise after passengers faint on 'awful' packed service TRAIN bosses have apologised after complaints that passengers fainted and felt like 'cattle going to slaughter' on an overcrowded morning service.

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Anglesey to Cardiff airlink suspended for hours after carrier 'withdrew service without notice' Linksair pulled out of providing the service from the RAF Valley but the Welsh Government has found an alternative provider to allow flights to continue on Monday
• A55 drivers react furiously to latest batch of roadworks After transport minister Edwina Hart announced another five weeks of delays, you had you say

London Evening Standard

• Staff-only seats on Tube platforms to make workers 'look busy'Tube chiefs are considering installing special "staff only" seats on station concourses that make users look like they are working rather than resting.
• Migrant crisis: At least 42 dead after two shipwrecks off Greek coastAt least 42 migrants are reported to have drowned in two separate shipwrecks off the coast of Greece.
• Tube Strike 2016: Users won't find out whether walkout will go ahead until the last minuteMillions of Tube users will be left waiting until the last moment to find out whether there will be a full train service next week.
• Letters to the editor: Clean air - the next Mayor's priority Your leader column about pollution highlights yet again the scandal of London's dirty air ["Londoners are dying from the city's toxic air", Comment, January 20]. Ministers' chronic inaction in the face of illegally polluted air has already landed the Government in court. The Mayor's failure to tackle the biggest cause of the problem — road traffic — hasn't helped, while his plans for more road-building would make the situation even worse.
• American Airlines sued for $11 million 'after Muslims and Sikh were ejected from plane because of their appearance'Three Muslims and a Sikh are seeking $11 million damages against a US airline after claiming they were kicked off a flight because of their appearance.

Northern Echo

• Owner of �90,000 Audi tracks garage worker taking it for 106mph spin WHEN a luxury 4x4 owner booked his car into the garage for a routine service, he never expected staff to take it on a 106mph test drive.
• Diesel at its lowest price for six years after Asda cuts prices by 2p ASDA has today cut the price of its diesel by 2p per litre – reducing diesel to its lowest price for six years.
• Ambulance service accused of leaving emergency responders vulnerable in bid to improve response times CONCERNS have been raised that emergency medical responders (EMR) in the Durham Dales are being placed in a vulnerable position by North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to improve response times.

The York Press

• Police seize hundreds of untaxed cars in two months NORTH Yorkshire Police have seized more than 200 untaxed cars in two months after taking on new powers.

Wales Online

• Hot air balloon drops from the sky and skims over the roofs of moving cars before coming to rest in a fieldThe incident, during which the balloon dropped out of the sky and bounced over cars, was caught on camera
• This video shows the amazing work of volunteers who deliver vital medical supplies on motorbikes Blood Bikes sees volunteers delivering blood, platelets and plasma to hospitals across Wales

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Price rise blow for Leeds CityBus usersTransport bosses are set to double the cost of journeys on the ‘hop on, hop off’ Leeds CityBus service.

Yorkshire Post

• Write off more of the bridge’s debts, urge leadersTHE Treasury should consider slashing the Humber Bridge’s debt to allow tolls to be cut as part of efforts to use better transport to grow Yorkshire’s economy, a Government body has been told.

Blackpool Gazette

• North West drivers are some of Britain’s safestThe North/South divide is frequently documented in many aspects of British life.

Burnley Express

• Axe is hovering over ‘lifeline’ bus servicesElderly and disabled people said they will be left totally isolated if “lifeline” bus routes are axed as the town’s MP warned Burnley’s public services are being “cut to the bone.”

Reading Evening Post

• The A329M 'nightmare': What you said about the road changesChanges to the A329M have people up in arms with the changes being labeled dangerous and unsafe, but not everyone thinks they're all bad

Sunderland Echo

• Anger over parking charges rising at The BridgesEcho readers have reacted with anger and despair over news that car-parking charges at The Bridges are set to rise from next month.

Other Regional Press

• Police call for insurance companies to "look more carefully" at claims POLICE who investigated Wales’s biggest-ever motor insurance fraud say that if companies looked “more carefully” at claims, they could save £340 million a year.
• Port goes bananas at size of cargoThe largest cargo ship to have ever called at Portsmouth International Port arrived this week.
• Traders pleased with council decision to cut car parking fees THE slashing of all-day rates at Oxpens car park has been welcomed by city centre businesses.
• Sinkhole opens following water leak in Peel Street, MaidstoneResidents at a housing block have been left unable to leave their car park after a sinkhole opened up in the road.
• Latest link road closuresThe latest road closures as part of the ongoing link road works are:
• Full closure of M65 after four car smashJunction one of the M65 has been under full closure after a crash involving up to four cars.
• Work complete on four-day road improvement project in HartlepoolFour days of road resurfacing on a major Hartlepool route are coming to an end.
• Campaigners call for fare deal on trains as consultation into rail services starts CONCERNS about rail services were raised – including the high cost of travel – as campaigners had their say in a survey.
• One-way system is damaging our tradeRESIDENTS and businesses are campaigning to change a town centre traffic layout to put drivers on the right track for visiting the shops.
• Yorkshire's drivers are among Britain's least safeYorkshire is among the least safe in the country when it comes to driving carefully, according to new research.
• 50mph restriction on M4 for more than a month while works are carried out THERE will be a 50mph speed restriction in place on the M4 westbound from Sunday.
• Signalling work halts westbound trains this weekend THERE will be no westbound trains from Swindon this weekend while Network Rail carries out the penultimate stage of a major signalling upgrade around the town.
• Asda drops price of diesel - could driving get even cheaper for Taunton motorists? MOTORISTS in the Taunton area will be hoping that local petrol stations follow Asda's lead and cut the cost of diesel.
• Do you fancy being a West Somerset Railway station master? DO you fancy being a station master on the iconic West Somerset Railway?
• Police advice on avoiding trouble on the M5 following a string of crashes at Bridgwater and Taunton POLICE have given advice on motorway driving after a string of crashes on the M5 this month.
• Four months of delays for people travelling between Dunster and Tiverton as roadworks get underway WEST Somerset residents heading to Mid-Devon could be facing serious traffic disruption as four months of roadworks gets underway on Monday.
• Traders pleased with council decision to cut car parking fees THE slashing of all-day rates at Oxpens car park has been welcomed by city centre businesses.
• Price of diesel slashed by another 2p at major supermarket today...and others to follow suit?Fuel prices look set to drop further as one of the major supermarkets makes more cuts at the pumps today.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• As Uber prepares to deliver shopping, local couriers face a tougher fight than black cabsA new report by international parcels broker ParcelHero reveals how you may soon be having your packages delivered by Uber. It’s a move set to deliver loss-making Uber $24.6bn internationally – but could mean war on the streets over Britain’s lucrative £7bn express courier industry. Many of us are already hooked on the Uber app that delivers a cab to our door within minutes. Now the pioneering courier price comparison site ParcelHero says we should prepare for the ‘Uberfication’ of our parcels and shopping deliveries. A new report from ParcelHero reveals th...
• Santander Cycles expands to Queen Elizabeth Olympic ParkLondon’s flagship cycle hire scheme, Santander Cycles, has been expanded to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Eight new docking stations and 310 docking points have been installed at the Park, furthering the reach of the popular scheme and contributing to the Mayor’s vision of making cycling more accessible for everyone. London’s Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, and Jessica Ennis-Hill, Santander ambassador, were at the Park today to launch the new docking stations, including some special edition gold Santander Cycles to reflect the link to the London 2012 cycling legacy. ...
• Mayor unveils plan for extra windows to make lorries saferLorries in London would be required to have a new side window so drivers can better see pedestrians and cyclists, under proposals unveiled by the Mayor today.   The plan to improve visibility for lorry drivers would help cut the dangerous blind spots which have caused a significant number of deaths on the capital's roads.   Under the proposals, existing and new lorries would be required to fit a new window in the lower half of the passenger-side cab door at a cost of £1,000- £1,500 per lorry. The only exceptions would be a handful of lorries where retrofitting is not phys...
• DfT and TfL outline plans for London rail improvementsProposals for rail improvements across London and the south-east were announced yesterday (January 21st), with officials aiming to increase capacity and offer a better service. The plans involve the Department of Transport (Dft) and Transport for London (TfL) working together to usher in a new age of rail travel across the capital and the south-east - one designed to support the region's rail needs and local economy. As part of the proposals, TfL would operate the majority of rail services within the Greater London boundary - a move that is hoped will deliver a smoother service that allows for...
• Up to 4 years' delay on Great Western Railway electrificationThe electrification of a number of routes in the south is running up to four years late, Network Rail has revealed. The project, which was last year revealed to be going significantly over-budget, climbing from an original estimate of �874 million in 2013 to �2.8 billion now, is facing delays of varying lengths. In Bristol Temple Meads, the arrival of electric trains has been pushed back until 2020 - some four years late.� Didcot, Newbury and Oxford will now be equipped with electric trains in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively, falling between two and three years late. Speaking about the delays...

Rail Magazine

• CAF to build trains for Arriva Trains NorthBasque manufacturer to provide 281 carriages in �490 million deal

Rail Technology Magazine

• Scotland's Edinburgh Gateway station to open by December 2016 The UK's Network Rail has announced that the Edinburgh Gateway station in Scotland is on schedule to open by the end of the year.

Railnews

• Spanish-built trains ordered for Northern in �490m deal Arriva has revealed that it has chosen Spanish train builder CAF to provide almost 300 new vehicles for the next Northern franchise. Arriva takes over Northern from the current partnership of Serco and Abellio at the start of April, and its franchise commitments include the replacement of the unpopular diesel Pacers which still run on a number of routes in the north. Arriva said the contract, worth �490 million, was being financed by Eversholt Rail. The new electric and diesel trains will be based on CAF's existing Civity series.

Aviation Industry

• Mid-Atlantic US snowstorm prompts major flight cancellationsAnticipating a major snowstorm due to strike the US Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend, airlines have canceled at least 3,014 flights as of 11:30am EST Jan. 22. read more
• �110 million Luton airport expansion startsMP Patrick McLoughlin marks the beginning of the million-pound project

Green Miscellany

• 360 degree bicycle cam has your backImagine a bicycle cam that films everything that’s going on around you - all the time. You and your friends can re-live any view of the ride after the event The post 360 degree bicycle cam has your back appeared first on ETA.

Other News Sources

• Urban Transport Group welcomes plans for more devolution on rail in London Friday, January 22, 2016 Tobyn Hughes, who leads for the Urban Transport Group on rail issues, said: Topic:  Regional and Urban Rail
• Night Tube 'back on' after unions back down on industrial action The updated Tube offer includes a four-day work week and lump sums of £500 for each worker
• FTA rejects London Mayor’s narrow approach on safetyThe Freight Transport Association (FTA) has expressed its disappointment at proposals from London Mayor Boris Johnson for changing the technical ...
• Northern Irish firm wins Luton Airport jobNorthern Ireland contractor McLaughlin & Harvey has won a £51m contract to redevelop and expand London Luton Aiport’s terminal.
• Views sought on new rail franchise for WalesMembers of the public are being asked what they would like to see from the next rail franchise for Wales.
• Why Community Transport MattersCongratulations to ECT Charity for its ground-breaking report Why Community Transport Matters, an amalgamation of two trailblazing studies designed to help community transport organisations around the UK demonstrate their social value.  TAS is really pleased to have assisted Deloitte in developing the key methodologies deployed in their focus on CT’s role in mitigating loneliness and isolation, which have significant costs for both the individual and the state in terms of poor health and the associated interventions.